Small bone angled compression screw

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a device and system for surgical fixation of small bones, small bone fragments, and osteotomies and more particularly to compression screw having a threaded leading portion which is joined to a section that is free from threads, and which includes an angle or from 12° to 25° in a plane through the longitudinal axis of the screw and a portion which is joined to a head having a configuration that is intended to provide anti-rotational stability and compression through the device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device and system for surgical fixation of small bones, small bone fragments, and osteotomies and more particularly to compression screw having a threaded leading portion which is joined to a section that is free from threads, and which includes an angle or arc from 12° to 25° in a plane through the longitudinal axis of the screw and a trailing portion which is joined to a head having a configuration that is intended to provide anti-rotational stability and compression through the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Patients often suffer from late stage arthritis in phalangeal joints of the hands and feet, and this presents a variety of challenges for attending physicians. While current treatment protocols usually provide acceptable results, there is a likelihood of straight distal interphalangeal joint fusion which provides for sub-optimal outcomes. Research has shown that when a patient's distal interphalangeal joint is fused in a functional position, finger dexterity and grip strength improve over that of a patient with a straight fusion. Physicians can achieve angled fusions by using k-wire fixation, however, this immobilization protocol can fail, and lead to several complications and varied results. While the utilization of compression screws can provide reliable, strong repairs, it does not offer the additional benefit of function flexion which is provide by a properly angled and oriented implant fixation device, especially one, which provides the added benefit of compression across the joint during fusion.

Advantageous locations the use of the present invention is in the phalanges of the hand or foot. In each finger, there are three phalanges that are separated by two joints called the interphalangeal joints (IP joints). The proximal IP joint (PIP joint) is the one closest to the MCP joint. The other joint closest to the end of the finger is the distal IP joint (DIP joint). The thumb just has one IP joint. The joints are covered on the ends with articular cartilage. The foot has an analogous structure substituting the large toe for the thumb. It should be understood that there may be additional surgical techniques or locations in the body where the device of the present invention may be suitable for use

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the problems associated with performing a fusion technique or an osteotomy, in particular in the interphalangeal joints. The device of the invention is a compression screw having a leading portion including a beveled and/or fluted self-tapping cutting tip, and a threaded portion, and an intermediate shaft portion which joins the trailing portion and forms an angle of from 12° to 25°, and preferably 18°+/−3°. Moreover, the intermediate shaft portion is joined to a trailing head portion that is configured to provide for compression across the fusion joint, and to inhibit rotation of the compression device in the interphalangeal position. The head is specifically configured (in a modified truncated triangular shape including hemi-cylindrical longitudinal flange members or alternatively, a tapered conical shape having threads) to be inserted into the bone without damaging the bone because it is sized and shaped to support the bone from the inside and to fit in the narrow confines of the intramedullary channel of these bones, to provide a head design which provides compression across the joint, but which can be seated below the surface of the bone to avoid screw prominence on the digit tip or intrusion into the fat pad of the finger or toe and the irritation that can result from a proud portion. In addition, the present invention provides for a percutaneous insertion in a surgical technique with an intramedullary implant designed to minimize soft tissue, cartilage and vascular damage upon insertion; and to facilitate early, active mobilization post-operative protocols for accelerated healing and earlier return to work.

The head at the trailing end includes a driving recess, such as a hexalobe, capable of being driven by a suitable driver into the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the device of FIG. 1 taken at a rotation of 90° to the view in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the device of FIG. 3 taken along line A-A;

FIG. 5 is a detail of FIG. 1 showing the end view of the head of the device from the top;

FIG. 6 is a dorsal view of a skeleton of a hand showing the implant of the invention in place in a PIP fusion;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of the step of inserting a guide wire in a retrograde fashion to align the distal and intermediate phalanges in accordance with the technique of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of the step of drilling by passing a cannulated drill over the guide wire;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of the step of inserting and confirming the placement of the implant across the fusion site in accordance with the surgical technique of the invention;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 11 is an end view of the device of FIG. 10 taken from a first end; and

FIG. 12 is an end view of the device of FIG. 10 taken from the second end.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment 10 of the angled compression screw of the present invention. The screw 10 may be formed of any suitable biocompatible material, such as surgical grade stainless steel, titanium, alloys of nickel and chromium, nitinol, PEEK, hydroxyapatite, bio-glass or other bio compatible materials or combinations of these materials. The screw 10 has a first end, or trailing end, 12, a second end, or leading end, 14, a shaft 16 with an outer surface 17, and the shaft 16 including a leading portion 18 which includes a thread 19 and has a beveled cutting tip 20 at the terminal end 22. The leading portion 18 is joined to a trailing portion 24 of the shaft 16. It should be noted while that the trailing portion may be considered to be proximal to the leading portion relative to the screw itself, in use, the leading portion is intended to be implanted more proximally in the joint than the trailing portion. The leading portion includes an intermediate angled area that joins the leading portion 18 of the shaft to a compression head 30 which has a driving surface 32 in a drive recess 34 formed in the top of first end 12. The angle of the angled area is from 10° to 25°, and preferably 18°+/−3° which is defined at the intersection of the central longitudinal axes of the trailing portion and the leading portions of the shaft. Accordingly, the outer surfaces of the angled portion include a slight radius. The shaft is only angled in a single plane as can be seen in a comparison of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

In the first embodiment, the cutting end 20 includes a bevel and a counterbore that helps to cut through any bone left behind when the bone is drilled to receive device 10, and further provides a space to receive extraneous material dragged along during insertion. The driving surface 32 in this embodiment has a hexalobe drive configuration, although any suitable driving configuration may be used. Other driving configurations that may be used include slotted, Pozidriv, Robertson, tri-wing, Torq-Set, SpannerHead, Triple Square and hex head.

In the first embodiment, the head of the compression screw 30 has a profile as seen from the top in FIG. 5 that represents a truncated modified triangle. In particular, the tips of the angle of the triangle are rounded slightly and instead include hemi-cylindrical flanges 35, that serve to strengthen the head 30 in areas where the torque driving recess has been cut-out, and further which helps to inhibit the distal flange from rotating. The configuration is radially symmetrical geometric shape (here a modified triangle as described below), but irregular, meaning that it is a circle of a diameter that is larger than the radius of the arc prescribed by the bent shaft rotated about a circle, or slightly larger than the size of the intermutually channel. Then, from 2-5 flat surfaces are designed in the circle, and optimally three flats to carve a triangular shape, and the flats can additionally include other protrusions, such as the hemi-cylindrical flanges in order to better wedge the head into position in the intramedullary channel of the distal phalange to secure it in place and inhibit rotation relative to the intermediate flange. Optionally, the terminal area of the head can flare or widen in cross-section in order to enhance the compression.

The leading portion of the device includes a thread 19 which is defined between the outer diameter and the inner diameter and can suitably include a right handed single start thread with a pitch of from 3-4, and preferably at 3+/−0.5 with a similar lead value. The leading and following profiles of the threads together form an angle of 60°+/−15°, and preferably 10°, and with a thread depth of 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm, and optionally a thrust profile or buttress profile.

FIG. 6 illustrates a screw 10 in accordance with the present invention in position across a first PIP joint to secure a fusion.

In FIG. 7, in a first step of a surgical technique in accordance with the invention, the joint is scored for fusion and a k-wire is inserted in the intramedullary cannel in retrograde until is abuts the inners cortical surface of the phalanges,

In FIG. 8 a cannulated drill 3, uses the K-wire as a guide to drill an opening (i.e., a straight opening or hole) into the phalanges extending through the fracture and providing enough space on each side of the fracture to properly position device 10.

In FIG. 9, the device 10 is driven into the opening in the phalanges by means of the drive recess. The outer diameter of the threads 28, is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the opening in the bone. This provides bone material for threads 28 to thread into and provides a tight fit for device 10. Further, the device is configured to allow a bent angled screw to be screwed into a straight hole which has been provided in the cancellous portion of the bone and across a fusion site, but where the device includes an angle along its long axis so that the relationship of the bones, or bone segments is changed as the device is screwed into the hole. Specifically, the device includes an angle in one plane about its long axis which is between 10° and 25°, and more specially which is 18°+/−3°. This angle is defined by the intersection of the axes along the central long axis of the device, and further where the device includes a leading length and a trailing length each extending from the intersection to the termination of the device (i.e. the lateral surfaces at the leading tip and the area surrounding the torque driving recess), where the trailing length describes an arc of rotation when it is rotated about the long axis which describes an arc of rotation diameter that is not larger than, or equal to a cross-sectional diameter of the head of the device below any additional trailing compression feature. Again, this means that the head has a configuration in the cross-section taken transverse to the long axis which is a modified regular geometric shape, such as a circle or an oval that has a maximum size that fill not exceed the space in the bone from external cortical surface to external cortical surface, but which can be “dragged” through the bone in rotation as the threaded leading portion of the screw is screwed into the bone, but which allows the cancellous bone to fill in during healing. Thus, the head has a capability to fill the canal of the bone that is created by the passing of the bent section in order to create compression in addition to having an the anti-rotation aspect which inhibits the device or the bone from rotating from the intended angled orientation (so that an oddly angled phalange is avoided while the desired fusion angle is preserved). This feature is governed by the largest diameter section of the head in contrast to the cuts or flats that create the anti-rotation feature.

It is noted that the head could include a trailing flared portion which exceeds the more leading area in order to increase the feature of compression, and that this trailing flare has a depth along the long axis from the trailing end of the head of less than ½, and more preferably ¼ of the total length of the head. Thus, the head can be dragged into the bone, (which can include a counter-bored portion) without splitting the bone, and will seat below the cortical surface of the bone.

FIGS. 10-12 show a second embodiment of the invention which is similar to the first embodiment, except that the head is a more traditional tapered or conical shape and is threaded in a double lead thread of the same thread shape and pitch value or even a lower pitch value (i.e. 50% to 95%, and preferably 75% to 90% of the pitch value) as the leading portion of the screw. The screw 110 has a first end, or trailing end, 112, a second end, or leading end, 114, a shaft 116 with an outer surface 117, and the shaft 116 including a leading portion 118 which includes a thread 119 and has a tapered cutting tip 120, including a cutting flute 121 at the terminal end 122. The leading portion 118 is joined to a trailing portion 124 of the shaft 116 The trailing portion includes an intermediate angled area that joins the leading portion 118 of the shaft to a tapered or conical compression head 130 with a thread 136 and which has a driving surface 132 in a drive recess 134 formed in the top of first end 112.

Having thus described some embodiments of the invention, other variations and embodiments that do not depart from the spirit of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of the present invention is thus not limited to any particular embodiment, but is instead set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof. Unless expressly stated in the written description or claims, the steps of any method recited in the claims may be performed in any order capable of yielding the desired result. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An angled compression screw for use in bone comprising: a first portion having a head having a torque driving recess and a configuration which inhibits rotation relative to the bone, a shaft having a central longitudinal axis and a second portion joined to the head and defining an angle of from 10° to 25° along the central longitudinal axis of the shaft and a third portion joined to the second portion and including a thread and a leading end including a cutting surface.
 2. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 1 wherein the head has a configuration which is a modified triangle.
 3. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 2 wherein the modified triangle head further includes at least one longitudinal flange.
 4. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 3 wherein the modified triangle includes truncated tips of the triangle and the head further includes hemi-cylindrical flanges at the truncated tips.
 5. The intramedullary implant as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first portion and the second portion include a thread and the thread of the first portion and of the second portion is a bone thread.
 6. The intramedullary implant as set forth in claim 5 wherein the configuration of the head is threaded or radially irregular.
 7. An angled compression screw having a length n along a central axis and for use in an angled fusion procedure in the intramedullary channel of a bone comprising: a leading portion having a length that is from ¼ to ½ of the value of n, and a cutting tip and a threaded portion with a bone thread having a major diameter and a minor diameter; a lag portion which includes a bend in one direction along the long axis and of from 10° to 25°; and a head member having at a torque driving recess and an anti-rotation feature.
 8. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 7 wherein the anti-rotation feature comprises at least one flat surface formed in the external surface of the head.
 9. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 8 wherein the head is a modified cylinder or cone which defines a shape in cross-section having a separated plurality of flats.
 10. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 9 wherein the head is a modified cylinder or cone which defines a shape in cross-section having from 2-5 flat surfaces that extend in the direction of the long axis of the screw and wherein the screw head is radially symmetrical.
 11. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 10 wherein the head has three flats which each include a hemi-cylindrical flange.
 12. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 7 wherein the lag portion is free from threads, and the head includes threads.
 13. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 12 wherein the lag portion has a length that is from ¼ to ½ of the value of n.
 14. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 7 wherein the lag portion defines an arc of rotation when the angled compression screw is rotated about the long axis, and the head member has a top surface which is external to a drive recess and length m taken from the top surface along the long axis, and at a value of ½ m, a maximum diameter of the head has a value in cross-section which is less than the diameter of the arc of rotation.
 15. A method of performing a bent angle bone fusion comprising the steps of: drilling a straight hole in first bone or bone segment and into a second bone or bone segment; screwing an angled bone screw of a length n along a long axis in the straight hole, the bone screw comprising a leading portion which has a length of from ¼ to ½ n, an intermediate portion which includes an angle along the long axis which is from 10° to 25° and a head which has a torque driving feature.
 16. A method of performing a bent angle bone fusion as set forth in claim 15 wherein the angled bone screw further has a first configuration that begins at an intersection defining the angle and includes an angle and a length along the long axis and a head configuration that allows the first portion to be screwed into the straight hole such that the first portion will pass through the straight hole but will cause compression between the first bone or bone segment and the second bone or bone segment.
 17. A method of performing a bent angle bone fusion as set forth in claim 16 wherein the angled screw head further has an anti-rotation feature.
 18. A method of performing a bent angle bone fusion as set forth in claim 17 wherein the angled screw head has a configuration which is a modified cylinder or a cone which further includes a plurality of flat surfaces that extend in the direction of the long axis of the screw.
 19. A method of performing a bent angle bone fusion as set forth in claim 17 wherein the head includes external threads.
 20. An angled compression screw having a length n along a central axis and for use in an angled fusion procedure in the intramedullary channel of a bone comprising: a leading portion having a length that is from ¼ to ½ of the value of n, and a cutting tip and a threaded portion with a thread having a major diameter and a minor diameter and a first pitch value; a lag portion which includes a bend in one direction along the long axis and of from 10° to 25°; and a head member having at a torque driving recess and external threads having a second pitch value.
 21. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 20 wherein the second pitch value is less than the first pitch value.
 22. An angled compression screw as set forth in claim 21 wherein the second pitch value is 75% to 90% of the first pitch value. 